New Bench....

Well.... here it is.... this is what I built my mom for her birthday.... I won't tell you which two Santas I painted or which two Presentstorm painted.... I just reloaded my PC- Lost everything and I'm trying to get things back how I like them. I hate doing this.... What a pain in the ass.

Mom....

For the woman who's always been there for me... For the woman who stepped up and was both mom and dad thru so much... For the woman who took me to wrestling matches in the rain... For the woman who did my makeup and made sure my dress fit right... For the woman who took me to my first concert... For the woman who raised me the best she could under extraordinary circumstances... For the woman I am proud to call Mom... Thank you... It may not always seem like it but I do appreciate all the things you have done for me... Happy birthday Mom! Now everybody run over and wish Mitey Mite a happy birthday!

My computer is hosed!

I got on yesterday... I loaded some pictures onto the PC... I e-mailed a few, I posted a few to my blog... then I went to Blog Explosion.... I joined a battle, hit the blog rocket, and checked my renter... Then I decided to surf around a bit when suddenly my computer froze... I sat hoping it would come back, then I turned it off.... When it came back on I got nothing... it tells me to boot normally, to boot the last known good config, safe mode... anything.... No go. I am dead in the water... shit shit shit... So now everything that's on there is lost... I'm gonna have to reload XP and start over... All my pictures... (at least all since mid September, I burned the rest) all my music... All my nifty little things I had gathered... Gone- just like that.... I hate it when that happens! Anyway... On a brighter note... I am currently renting space on a few blogs... one of them is Wendy Wings... WOW! She is sending me all kinds of traffic! Thanks Wendy! Even though her blog blows I appreciate the visitors! I only wish I could send my renter as many as she has sent me.... If you get a chance, look to the right and go visit 3rd Times A Charm... Oh yeah... one last thing... I took little Gizmo to get his nuts chopped off today... poor puppy... I hate when that happens too. :(

Santa & Jesus....

I finally finished painting the yard decoration.... Here it is placed in the front for all to see: Hmmmm... wonder what's happening in the garage now....

Random thoughts on Nyquil.....

OK... I better make this quick before I get all freaked out and pass out or something.... I took some Nyquil a bit ago and it's starting to kick in.... Anyway.... I hope everybody had a good turkey day... We did... Ate a buch, saw the family, etc... I'm still not smoking.... Crazy, eh? Ummmmm..... I have a new renter... Everybody go visit 3rd times A Charm and tell her guppy sent you by.... ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..... Huh? Wha? oh yeah... I was typing.... I forget what I was typing, but i know it had something to do with something or other.... Wow... The Nyquil hits fast.... it's been long since I bothered with it, I almost forgot.... I hate being sick! If I could lose the cough, I'd be ok.... Anyway.... I think I'll go curl up somewhere and sleep.//.. Take care everybody!

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant Walk right in it's around the back Just a half a mile from the railroad track You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant Ok.... It's Thanksgiving.... Time to get together with the family... Time to eat more turkey than you thought possible... Time to watch the Cowboys... Time to start thinking seriously about Christmas... Time to thank God for all the blessings he has given us... Time to freak out because I have not smoked today...

OK... That's it.....

I have been semi-sick for the last two weeks.... I wake up coughing and have nasty sinus drainage rolling down my throat, and it doesn't get much better as the day goes on... So what is the first thing i do in the morning? I go outside and smoke. What kind of idiot goes and makes himself feel even worse in the morning and all day long while he's sick? What kind of idiot does it take to be hacking up a lung between drags off a cigarette? So this morning, I bought my last pack of cigarettes. Tomorrow morning, I will wake up and not smoke. I quit. I'm sure I will be just a friendly bundle of joy around the family during Thanksgiving dinner, but they'll just have to deal with it. I'm sick of making myself feel like shit. I'm sick of spending the money on such useless crap. I'm sick of my wife not wanting to come near me because I smell like an ashtray. So today I am thanking God for taking away my desire to smoke. I will succeed this time. Today is my last day as a smoker. Ok... I've typed enough.... time for a smoke break.....

Teen Poverty in America

***Note- I just noticed that my guinea pigs have been online a few times this month.... They must be sneaking out while I'm at work...*** I received this in an e-mail earlier and it is highly disturbing.... I guess after awhile you don't notice the plight others are in..... We just spent several hours observing teenagers hanging out at our local mall. We came to the conclusion many teenagers in America today are living in poverty. Most young men We observed didn't even own a belt; there was not one among the whole group. But that wasn't the sad part. Many were wearing their daddy's jeans. Some jeans were so big and baggy they hung low on their hips, exposing their underwear. I know some must have been ashamed their daddy was short, because his jeans hardly went below their knees. They weren't even their daddies' good jeans, for most had holes ripped in the knees and a dirty look to them. It grieved us, in a modern, affluent society like America, there are those who can't afford a decent pair of jeans. I was thinking about asking my church to start a jeans drive for "poor kids at the mall." Then on Christmas Eve, we could go Christmas caroling and distribute jeans to these poor teenagers. But here is the saddest part...it was the girls they were hanging out with that disturbed us most. Never, in all of our lives, have we seen such poverty-stricken girls. These girls had the opposite problem of the guys. They all had to wear their little sister's clothes. Their jeans were about 5 sizes too small! I don't know how they could get them on, let alone button them up. Their jeans barely went over their hipbones. Most also had on their little sister's top; it hardly covered their midsections. Oh, they were trying to hold their heads up with pride, but it was a sad sight to see these almost grown women wearing children's clothes. However, it was their underwear that bothered us most. They, like the boys, because of the improper fitting of their clothes, they had their underwear exposed. We had never seen anything like it. It looked like their underwear was only held together by a single piece of string. We know it saddens your heart to receive this report on condition of our American teenagers. While we go to bed every night with a closets full of clothes nearby, there are millions of "mall girls" who barely have enough material to keep it together. We think their "poorness" is why these 2 groups gather at the mall; boys with their short daddies' ripped jeans, and girls wearing their younger sisters' clothes. The mall is one place where they can find acceptance. So, next time you are at the mall, doing your shopping , and you pass by some of these poor teenagers, would you say a prayer for them? And one more thing . Will you pray the guys' pants won't fall down, and the girls' strings won't break? We thank you all,

Link day....

How about a few links today? Here are just a few things I ran across that I felt the need to share with you... enjoy! I know longer feel like I am obssessed with the computer.... This is real obsession! Ok.... The cat, I understand... Everybody at some point finds it fascinating.... But the person who filmed it... I really wonder about! I want to set up my Christmas lights like this guy did! OK... What is sadder, the fact that people post stuff like this of themselves, or that I'll sit and watch the whole thing hoping that something happens to make it better?

Oh wow... It's almost Christmas!!!!

I turned on the radio this morning and they are playing Christmas carols already!!! WOW!! Wasn't it just July? Time is flying.... Anyway... since it's getting close to that time... let's try to figure out what Christmas Carols these are talking about.... 1. Quadruped with crimson proboscis 2. 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. without noise 3. Miniscule hamlet in the far east 4. Ancient benevolent despot 5. Adorn the vestibule 6. Exuberance directed to the planet 7. Listen, aerial spirits harmonizing 8. Monarchial trio 9. Yonder in the haystack 10. Assemble, everyone who believes 11. Hallowed post meridian 12. Fantasies of a colorless December 25th 13. Tin tintinnabulums 14. A dozen 24-hour Yule periods 15. Befell during the transparent bewitching hour 16. Homo sapien of crystallized vapor 17. I merely desire a pair of incisors 18. I spied my maternal parent osculating a fat man in red 19. Perambulating through a December solstice fantasy 20. Aloft on the acme of the abode

A simple tale....

Hmmmm.... I wonder what this tastes like....? Mmmmm... yum yum... errrrr... Hey guys! What's up man? Oh guys... I want to come over and run and chase and sniff and all the great things that ya'll are doing over there! If only I could figure this gate out.....

Survivor....

But first, look to your right and see that I have a new renter... Everybody go visit Angie at Ficken Chingers and tell her that guppy sent you! Now... on to the show! When the tribe got back from Tribal Council, Jamie decided to try to stir up trouble... First with Cindy about Gary's vote for her, then with Gary... Even Judd was telling Jamie to just shut up- Amazing from 'Mr. Doesn't know when to stop' himself... The reward challenge had two teams- Gary, Judd, Steph & Danni vs. Jamie, Rafe, Cindy & Lydia... They had a mud pit with obstacles to either go over or under while tied together... the object was to get clay pots filled with corn to bring back and fill a larger pot. The camera man really enjoyed getting shots of Danni's ass during this, but unfortunately- not one of them made it to CBS's picture gallery of this show... Damn you CBS! Though I did find a nice shot of Cindy's ass: Ok... Back to the write-up... Steph, Danni, Gary & Judd ended up winning thanks to Lydia moving at a snail's pace... Once they won, a helicopter landed and took the mud people to some rich guys house so they could get clean and eat... If I owned that helicopter, there is no way i would have let those nasty stinking people in it... I guess CBS pays well... Anyway- nice shots of the jungle from the helicopter, then they land and get taken to a shower by the pool... The girls are 'treated' to judd taking it all off before his shower and swim... I went blind for a few minutes... When I recovered my sight, the folks were eating.. Danni had the quote of the night: "I love to eat, but Steph eats even more than I do." Really Danni? You actually eat? I am amazed! She is skinnier than my keyboard.... Anyway- they got clean, got to sleep in a bed, blah blah blah... In the morning, they woke up to coffee made by some brand that I can't remember now... I think they only worked the brand name in about 100 times in the episode... Unless they come pay me, I won't do so here... While they were gone, Jamie cornered Rafe and asked him about his plans, over and over and over... to the point that Rafe was freakin out... he thinks Jamie is losing it. Oh yeah... The folks who won got home videos... I almost forgot about that... cheesy like always, but I guess they enjoyed it... I was hoping Gary's kids would say something like "Hey dad... i bet this is more fun than when you played for the Cowboys!" but it didn't happen.... So they went back to camp, brought em coffee, said nobody discussed strategy, blah blah blah.... Immunity challenge Hooked to a rope, each tribe member must travel through an obstacle course to the finish line. Gary was going strong, but screwed it up at the end of the first round... Cindy looked like she might get it, but Rafe finally won immunity again... Cindy had some nice bleeding going on afterward though... Jamie continued to act paranoid at camp and that caused his tribe to turn on him... They voted him out! Nobody bothered to tell Judd and he looked just as blindsided as Jamie was... Classic moment that will surely lead to some good tension on the next episode.....

Name That Tune....

Here's a little idea I sort of stole from Scooter McGavin.... I have given the first line of a song... You post the title and artist in the comments, and I will unbold it and give you credit for guessing it... See how many of these you can get without turning to google... Most of all though, have fun! *UPDATE* - I've decided this went long enough, so I'm answering the last three.... WTG folks! Ya'll did a great job! Too bad I didn't have any great prizes for doing this...... Thanks to everyone who made guesses... It was fun! I'll do a new one soon.... 1. If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you. Thank You...Led Zeppelin - My sister (anonymous) 2. There is unrest in the forest, There is trouble with the trees Rush - Trees Texas Ivy 3. It was December 24th on Hollis Ave in the dark Christmas In Hollis - Run-DMC ( Scooter McGavin) 4. Close the city and tell the people that somethings coming to call Black Sabbath, The Mob Rules Phoenix 5. Baby, baby why can't you sit still? Black Crows' Remedy - ( Scooter McGavin) 6. What do you mean, "I don't believe in God"? I talk to him every day. Peace Sells but Who's Buying" by Megadeth. Glyn (Zaphod) Evans 7. We all see black and white When it comes to someone elses fightAnthrax - Indians (Guppyman) 8. I was cutting a rug down at a place called the jug With a girl named Linda Lou Lynard Skynard Gimme Three Steps (Beanhead Babbles) 9. Since I know how low to go I wont let it show Days of The New - Touch, Peel and Stand (Guppyman 10. I am just a cowboy lonesome on the trail Thin Lizzy - Cowboy Song (Guppyman 11. Heart-breaker Soul-shaker I've been told about you Hair of the Dog by Nazareth Beckeye 12. Who's the one that makes you happy? Or maybe, who's the one always on your mind? What You Give - Tesla Beckeye 13. Goin' to the city, got you on my mind Country sure is pretty, I leave it all behind Fool for the City, Foghat - My sister (anonymous) 14. Out on the road for forty days Last night in Little Rock, put me in a haze Grand Funk Railroad - We're an American Band Texas Ivy 15. I can feel no sense of measure No illusions as we take Yes - Leave it Ally 16. Cool woman, cool eyes, you got me hypnotized So head down, get a rhythm, stop your stalling and your bitching Def Leppard - Let it go Texas Ivy 17. I'm waiting in my cold cell when the bell begins to chime Iron Maiden - Hallowed Be Thy Name Phoenix 18. All the things I see in you All the things I know that are true Jackyl - Down on me Texas Ivy 19. She said I don't know if I've ever been good enough Matchbox 20 - Push Texas Ivy 20. I'm a gambler And I'm a runner Desperado by Alice Cooper Mjet

Playing with mom's camera....

I borrowed my mom's camera, so I decided to play a little with it... Here are a few shots I liked...

New Bedroom

I know a few of you were wanting to see how we painted the bedroom.... here are a couple of shots. We still need to paint all the trim and the doors, but that will have to wait for awhile.

How I feel today....

I hate being sick!

More Angel Trumpets...

By now, I'm sure you've all seen my yellow Angel's Trumpets.... But I have one more plant that I planted a little after those.... It never flowered until last night.... but then today, the flower closed up.... So tonight, I went out in the dark and grabbed a few shots.... Beautiful! I was scared this plant may not even make it... I planted it on top of an old stump that I found buried in the yard... It took it a long time to get a good foothold, but it finally has and it is going nuts now! Excuse the insect damage to the leaves... I have a few catterpillars going nuts on it... I think I like these white flowers even more than the yellow ones! I wish that ya'll could smell them.... It is amazing walking out the door at night....

Hello!

First off... I have a new renter! So let's all be neighborly and go over and say hi to Dude Where's My Prozac? Tell her guppyman sent you. So... it's November.... How is your garden doing? Here's a couple of shots that I took of mine yesterday.... I can't believe how well the Angel Trumpets are doing! Every day when you walk out, you are greated with hundreds of flowers that smell beautiful.... Glad I planted those. - The hibiscus took off this year... I've had that one for a few years in a pot and it never really did that well.... I think it likes it's place in the ground though.... How about where I'm at with Santa and Baby Jesus.... Not quite done yet, but it's getting there.... I think I'm going to like this one... And see... I really did get on skates! Anyway... None of that matters today! What really matters is that I am married to the most wonderful woman in the world! Today is our anniversary. So I'm getting off of here and going to show her all the love and affection that I can.

How's life?

How is everybody doing today? I just figured I'd hop on and talk about what's happening with my life for a second... Hope I don't bore you to tears.... Today my sister went in for surgery... She had a Fundoplication - Not just any doplication... This one was a FUN-doplication... I just called and she is in the recovery room now... Pray for a speedy recovery and maybe finally an end to her problems.... Friday is our first anniversary! It's hard to believe just a year ago we got married... I am truly blessed to have found the love of my life... Check out our wedding vows! I'm getting closer to finishing Santa... I have a little bit of detail work on his face, and some detail work on Baby Jesus to finish, then just some sealer and it's done! Pictures will come... I got on roller skates last night! Our church handed out free passes to go skating, and I figured it was a great opportunity to take my daughter... We had a blast! I haven't looked yet, but there may even be pictures... we'll see. Tonight after work, we have to figure out how to go see my sister, get the house totally cleaned up, and possibly run to a Wal-Mart where Brandon Backe will be signing autographs.... Too much to do, so little time...... And last, here are a few links for your viwewing pleasure: First up is something I'd love to have in my house... Check out Steve's Home Theater And next: How not to do a burnout on a bike (watch the guy in back) Have a great day everybody!

Fresh spam....

I just went thru the 2000 spam e-mails I found in my spam folder... holy crap... They are getting horrible... Before when they couldn't spell... that was almost ok... but now... they can't even put the words in the right order either.... Drives me insane.... Anyway... here are a few I grabbed for your enjoyment.... Your wife will think its the best purchase. snafu What is snafu, why would I need it, and what exactly will it do for my wife? Why let people know about your intimate life? Because i'm a blogger. That's what I do. I tell people what's going on in my life, and for some strange reason they are halfway interested and come back for more. 65% of members got laid In their lifetime? What is this, a Star Trek club? Tired of thinking about it? Why yes I am... thanks for asking. Brain? Yes Pinky? Remember the old days? You mean back when you assholes didn't send me unsolicited e-mail? If you do not read this email, there is 97% that your financial situation will not improve Oh boy... psychic financial advisors! Where do i sign up? Can you afford not to read this? No... by not reading it I will probably end up a bum on skid row... but it's a chance I just have to take. New mail from Alla for you More mail from the god of Islam? This is the third time he's tried to get hold of me... I wonder who gave him my e-mail address? If it's about those 72 virgins... he can keep em... I found something! So did I... My delete key.

What should I do?

First a word for our renter.... If you haven't visited Joe over at God Even Loves Idiots Like Me, go do so... Tell him guppyman sent you! On to our regularly scheduled post..... I have 2 other blogs which have been badly neglected... Guppyman's Pic Dump and Diary of a lesbian Guinea Pig The pic dump hasn't had an update since July, the Guinea's haven't been updated since September... Should I bother keeping either of these around? I always forget the pic page is there, but I love having the space to see how things progress... I will keep this one and hopefully remember to post some new pics on it soon.... The guinea pigs- This was a blast at first... Everyone was very positive about it and i had some great fun... but I quit being able to think of things that I could post. I keep wanting to get it started again, but I don't know.... Maybe if I went to weekly updates or something...? What do you think? Should I keep em, or give them the axe?

Santa Progress....

Today, I got a little bit of work done on Santa. Not too much because we went to my niece's birthday party.... Here's Santa during the off season... He washed that grey right out of his beard... Here's the grey starting to come back in.... And a little bit of color in his suit... Here's my niece who is turning 15! Dang... She was born like last week? 15? Damn... I'm getting old! While we were at my sister's, I noticed that the bench I gave her actually does get used! Yay!

Latest Project

Here's the latest thing I'm working on.... I cut it out the other day and finally traced the lines over last night.... Next, I need to start painting.... Just in case you can't tell what it should be, here's the pattern I am working off of.... Should be cool to have some new yard decorations this year.... I have this pattern too... Hopefully I still have enough plywood in the garage to cut it out. I'll let ya'll see how they turn out once I get some paint slapped on...

Strange happenings in the Battle of the Blogs.....

Over the last few days, I have noticed some strange events over at Blog Explosion... For those who aren't familiar with Blog Explosion, they have a feature over there called Battle of the Blogs. You can wager credits and battle your blog against another.... I battle a lot. Anyway, the other day, I got beaten really badly by a blog that I wouldn't think had a chance of beating me normally. I kinda laughed it off... At least at first... It could happen, right? I could get totally skunked... Oh well... That is, until I heard that some people voted for me in that battle. Now, I really wonder what exactly happened..... Then today... I was in another battle... Same guy... People were voting, but the vote counter wasn't moving... Finally, after what seemed like an eternity... the battle ended... And here was the score: WTF? 0-0 ??????? How the hell did I win a battle with a score of zero to zero? Something is screwed up over in the battles.... (and yes... I did open a trouble ticket) Anyway... Just thought I'd point it out.

Answers....

Thanks to you folks who asked questions... Here are the answers... Not enough? Need more info? Feel free to ask some more... I can always add to this thing.... And if you haven't visited Joe from God Even Loves Idiots Like Me, click on the thumbnail on the top right... he's got a great site and would appreciate your visit! Have you lived outside of Texas? Yes I have... I lived with my dad in Witchita KS for about 6 months.... Will you stay there forever? Maybe, maybe not... My wife is from Kentucky, and what I have seen of it is beautiful... Have you patented the idea of making a little dictionary reference for yourself in Photoshop? Because, that rocks. I got the dictionary pic at the same place people are getting the Einstein thing... Try here there's an error in your dictionnary... damn... where's that picture again where einstein wrote "guppy's blog blows" I have never seen such a thing... I think Einstein was smarter than that... He knows my blog doesn't blow. What does blogging mean to you? Uh oh.... you want deep... It's a release... It's entertainment... It's a log of what I was thinking about... it's an ego feeder.. It's a boredom buster... It's a lot of things depending on my mood. What's your favorite food? Anything my wife cooks for me... ;) Have you always lived in Houston? No. I was born in Waco and grew up north of Dallas... I moved to Houston when I was 15 and have mostly been here ever since. Have you come across any new musical artists you really like recently? NO. Modern music pretty much sucks as far as I'm concerned... I guess I got old or something... Last "new" bands i really liked were RATM and the Black Crowes... Go figure.... how long have you been blogging ? and why did you start? and who got you started? I started blogging in January this year... I started just to see what all the fuss was about... I kept seeing the word blog all ove, so figured I'd try it and see. The name Guppyman's Rant Zone was actually chosen because i figured i'd end up with a political blog... I guess I was wrong. are ur guinea pigs going to start blogging again? Yes they will. I don't know when, but I've been told that they want to get on the PC again... I'll let you know when they do. I know you have an undying, unconditional love for your daughter. Tell us about when you found out you were going to be a father and how you felt. Also, if you can, describe how you felt the first time you saw her and held her. (I feel like getting teary eyed, gup) Also...yes there's more...tell us how the first meeting between your daughter and Stormii went. I know, I am so nosy. If this is a subject you'd rather not discuss..then tell us...what kind of deodorant you use. ;) I'll stop now. When I found out I was going to be a dad I was exstatic! I love kids and here I created one on my own! How cool is that? Anyway... When she was born I balled like a little baby... I called my sister at work and could barely choke out that I had a beautiful baby girl! One of the greatest moments in my life. She couldn't wait to meet Stormii... She had talked to her on the phone, on the PC, seen pictures etc... long before she met her... She hugged her as soon as she saw her. Right Gaurd Sport Stick Boxers or briefs ? Gotta be held tight, so briefs. Or none at all Who said you blog don't blow ? The dictionary. In five days the Earth is going to be blown up to make way for an intergalactic freeway. Donald Trump has just given you one million dollars. How will you spend your last five days on Earth? First, I'd make sure I had my towel.... No really... I'd want to spend it with my wife and daughter... Anything else would just be fluff.

New renter

I have a new renter. Joe is an idiot, and he is using his blog to show that even idiots are loved by God. (Actually, joe is a great guy- he calls himself an idiot). Go visit "God Even Loves Idiots Like Me". It is well worth the trip! And while you are here, check out the next post... I have given you the opportunity to ask me anything you want to know about me... and only 2 people seem to want to know anything. :(

Learn something about guppyman!

OK... I have decided to give ya'll the opportunity to learn something about me. What do you want to know? I've looked at the 100 things lists and I am too much of a procrastinator to do something like that, so figured this might be more my speed... So ask away! Here's your chance to find out what makes me tick... What do you want to know about guppyman....?

Dinner and 'Rent My Blog'

Does my wife love me or what? Look at this dinner she made me today.... Country fried steak, fried potatoes, corn and cornbread! I am stuffed! I love that woman!

============================

I have been trying out the new Blog Explosion rent My Blog feature... If you haven't yet checked out my renter... take a look over to the right. Wendy is worth visiting. Anyway... I have noticed some things about Rent My Blog that I wanted to talk about.... 1. I have noticed a lot of people charging huge amounts of credits for rental space. If you look at their past rentals, they got one or two unique clicks. What justifies the huge price tag??? 2. I am not getting much in the way of hits from the people I have rented from so far. Not sure what I can do to change that, but just felt like bitching a little. 3. I decided to promote Wendy a little when her rental started and I think it helped... I made a simple introduction and pointed out where to go to see her blog.... I got her 24 unique clicks so far by doing so.... 4. I have decided that unless someone can show that they produce hits, paying more than about 25 credits is not gonna happen. Show me what I'm paying for folks! Anyway...Hopefully as the newness of it wears off, people will come down to reality and stop with the huge credit thing... I think Rent My Blog is a great idea, let's hope it becomes something that trully does benefit everybody.

Vacation is over....

Back to work... Back to the day to day same ol same ol.... yippeeeeee! Yawn.... is it 5 o'clock yet? I'm ready to go home....